Cave explorers map a new milestone at Jewel Cave

Cave explorers recently mapped the 200th mile in Jewel Cave National Monument. A team of six volunteer cavers entered the cave on Dec. 15 and surveyed 3,338.75 feet of passages, according to a release this week from the National Park Service. They reached the milestone moment on Sunday, briefly posing for a photo of the accomplishment. Upon exiting the cave on Monday night, the cavers were greeted by park staff, family, and friends for an evening celebration and potluck, and to share their experiences.
Jan Conn also attended. She and her husband, Herb, were instrumental in demonstrating the significance of Jewel Cave. For years, Jewel Cave was thought to be a small cave, with only two miles mapped. That changed in 1959 when Herb and Jan Conn began exploring the cave in earnest. From 1959 through 1981, the Conns discovered more than 60 miles of cave passages. At 94, Jan remains a strong supporter of the Monument’s volunteer exploration program. Since 1981, two generations of cavers have followed in the Conn’s footsteps and have continued to discover new passages, unique formations, and even cave lakes. 
A major breakthrough took place in March 2014 in the Splinter Section of Jewel Cave. Since its discovery, over 24 miles of passages have been mapped, with hundreds of open “leads” that remain to be explored. Due to the remoteness of the area, cavers spend up to four days in the cave, resting each evening at a site called Deep Camp. It takes cavers about eight hours to reach Deep Camp from the visitor center elevators. From there, it takes another four hours to reach the “end” of the cave. Superintendent Michelle Wheatley states, “Caving is a difficult and demanding activity, and the Monument has been very fortunate to have such dedicated and skilled cave explorers, who love caving at Jewel Cave and keep finding more of this amazing underground resource.” 
At 200.29 miles, Jewel Cave is currently the second longest cave in the country and the third longest in the world. It is located 24 miles east of Newcastle off U.S. Highway 16.
The Monument is planning a 200-Mile Celebration on June 28–30, 2019, in Custer, S.D. Guest speakers, youth activities, and an array of presentations are being planned with the assistance of the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association. Registration materials and a complete listing of events will be available by Feb. 1, according to NPS.
For more information about Jewel Cave, visit the Monument online at nps.gov/jeca or call the visitor center directly at (605) 673-8300. For additional information and images related to the 200th mile discovery, follow the Monument through social media at facebook.com/JewelCaveNPS or instagram.com/JewelCaveNPS.
The Monument is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Due to a construction project within the cave, guided tours are not available until mid-April 2019.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at nps.gov.